Tearing strip container



Feb. 19, 1935. B. F. sAuBEsTRE f 1,991,420

TEARING STRIP CONTAINER Y n 'Filed may 1s, 1951 fk# ATToRNE Paiement. 19, 193s yPA'IENT f OFFICE TEARING s'rnn ooN'rAINl-:llt-l Basil F. Saubestrc, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to American Can Company, vNew York, N. corporation of New Jersey Application May 13, 1931, Serial No. 537,096 4' 7 claims. `(c|. zzo-.54)

'I'he present invention relates to a tearing strip container and has for its objectA broadly the improvement in the construction and arrangement of the tongue for removing the tearing strip of such a container.

Sheet metal containers adapted to be opened by the. removal of an encircling tearing or rip strip have generally been constructed from a body blank scored throughout its length to set oil? an encircling rip strip and provided with an outwardly projecting or extending tongue at the end of the blank for engagement by the key. Inherently such a projecting' tongue has necessitated that the blank be cut from a sheet of tin having an overall length longer than the desired blank by atleast the length-of the tongue, with\f resultant wastage of material at the end of the sheet.' Moreover, suchprojecting tongues upon the blanks being of relatively small dimension 2 may readily become bent or'destroyed in the handling ofthe blank preparatory to and as an incident .tothe formation of the can body.

'Ihis invention has for a principal object the provision of containers of the character; described 25 by providing tongues separate from the body blanks, thereby obviatingthe considerable waste of material formerly necessary.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a body blank for `atearing strip container'wherein the tongue provided for engagement by the key is.so\ constructed and arranged as to liel wholly within the edgesuof the blank adapted to enter into the side seam of the container and thus be protected from deformation.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a tearing strip can of the character described. wherein the tongue provided for engagement by the opening key and the adjacent portions ofthe adjacent end of the tearing strip itself will be reinforced against separation of the tongue in the initial turning movements of the key to remove the tearing strip.

Numerous other objects of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from 'the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing: j

Figure 1is a perspective view of a container embodying the present invention; y

Fig. 2 -is a side view-of the body 'blank of the container illustrated in Fig. 1, and having a tearing strip set off by score ken away;

lines,'parts being -brof Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of a body blank` with a tongue secured to its tearing strip; Fig.,4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially lalong the line '4 4 in Fig. 1; 4 Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. -4 taken substantially along the line 5,-5 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a position of the tongue in the removal of the tearing strip.

Referring more in particular to the drawing there isdisclosed a container v(Fig.,1) comprising a body 10 andtop and bottoml ends 11, 12. 'I'he body 10 is formed from' abody blank 13 (Fig. 2). This body blank may have two opposed short edges 14,` 15 which are slit on one side at 1'? andnotched on theother side at 18, leav/ ing central portions-between the slits 17 and the notches 18 adapted/to be bent over' to form hooks 19. The formation of the hook 19 in the edge 14xl leaves projecting unbent portions 21, 22 terminating at the slits 17 while in the edge 15 its hook 19 leaves a straight edge having the notches 4 18 therein.

A tearing strip 25`is set off by parallel score lines 26 cut in the body blank 13 adjacent the one longitudinal edge thereof, the score lines 26 at one end extending into the unbent portion 21 of the edge 14 and at its other end terminating in twoof the notches 18 in the edge 15. A tongue y28 (Fig. 3) is formed from a separate piece of material and may be spot-welded at 29 to the portion 21 of the blank 13, whiclrwill be the underlapped portion of the side seam, with its longitudinal edges in parallel alignment with the score lines 26-of the tearing `strip 25 and preferably with 'its key engaging end extending back toward the center of the blank 13. ln such position, no part of the tongue projects beyond the extremities of the blank.

Thebody blank 13 may now be formed into container body shape to produce the container body 10, the edges14, 15 thereof preferably being brought together with the ends of the score lines 26 in alignment and the edge 15 overlapping the underlapping edge 14. In this-position the hooks 19 are interengaged and pressed together to form a lock and lap side seam 31. The central portion of the seam, where the hooksLlS are interengaged,l forms the lock part of the seam (Fig. 5) and 'the overlapping unbent portions form the lap parts of the seam (Fig. 4). It will be noted in this formation that the edge 15 of the blank 13 overlaps the. unbent portion 2l thereof and the welded part of the tongue 28 is located beusv 5 .blank (Figs. 3l and 4).

. the usual manner, to the entire side seam hermeti-4 In this assembled position solder -is applied, in

` cally sealing the body at this joint, the solder being forced into the lock portion and. between the lapped edges 14, 15. This solder, designated by the numeral 33, is thusforced between the under side of the edge l5 and the outer side of the tongue 28 forming a bond which unites the tongue with the end of the tearing strip 25.

The spot weld `29 isv preferably located back `wel1 within the end of the tearing or rip strip, this end being generally indicated bylreference character 35, the area of the strip at this position being soldered to the tongue by the solder 33., Reference character 37 indicates the usual opening key adapted for engagement with the tongue. When this key is rotated after such engagement, itsy first turning movement presses upon the presented end 35 of the tearing strip in turn pressing upon and pulling the tongue up andl around as may be observed in Fig. 6. 'I'he strains upon the solder are, therefore, entirely in the plane of the solder and the joint is reinforced forv the tearing loose of the weld 29. Continued rotation of the key removes the tearing strip in the usual manner.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A tearing strip container having a side seam and a tearing strip set off by score lines, and a separate tongue member secured to the underlapping end of said tearing strip in said side seam and extending away from the vend edge of and over that part of the container body to which it is secured, and adapted to be engaged byanl opening key and wound thereon together -with said tearing strip which is thereby broken along said score lines and removed from the container wall, opening the container.

2. A tearing strip container having a side se'ani and a tearing strip set off by score lines terminating in sai side seam, and a separate tongue member secured to the under-lapped end of said tearing strip in a welded joint and extending on the outside of the tearing strip towards the other end of the strip, said tongue being also secured to the over-lappedV end of the tearing strip in a soldered joint in said side seam, said tongue being adapted to be engaged by an opening key and wound thereon, the welded joint being broken and the soldered end of said tearing strip passing with said tongue on to said key.

3. A tearing strip container having a side seam 4key and would thereon so that ing in said side seam, and a separate tongue member secured to the underlapping end of said tearing strip in a welded joint and to the other end in a soldered joint in said side seam, said tongue extending backward from its point of attachment and overlying said' underlapping end, and being adapted to be engaged by an opening the soldered end of 'said tearing strip is embraced in the tongue part Wound on said key prior lto removal ofl the end of said tongue from its welded connection with said tearing strip, the welded joint being broken and the soldered end of said tearing strip passing Vwith said tongue on to said key. l

4. A tearing strip container having a lock, and lap soldered side seam and a tearing strip set off by score lines terminating in the lapped part of said seam, and a separate tongue member welded to the underlapping endof said tearing strip and overlying said end incorporated in the said lapped seam part, the other end of said tearing strip being secured to said tongue member by the solder lof said lap seam part, said t'ongue being engageable with an opening key and removed with said'- ltearing strip, and a separate tongue member secured to the tearing strip of said blank adjacent one end of said tearing strip and projecting backward away from the edge of said blank and overlying the blank to provide opening means for the container formed from said blank.

6. .A blank for a tearing strip can body, having a tearing strip set oi thereon by weakening lines, and having a tearing tongue connected with the tearing strip and extending backward from the end edge of the blank and over that end of the blank'with which the tongue is connected.

'1. The method of making tearing strip cans with opening tongues, which consists in forming the blank for the can body with weakening lines and without any tongue, and then vsecuring removably a separate tongue to one end of the tearing strip so that the tongue extends along the strip towards the other end thereof, and then uniting the ends'of the blank ina side seam in which the tongue is overlapped by the other end of the tearing strip and in which seam solder is applied so as to unite the secured end, of the tongue to the overlapping' part of the tearing remains attached to the overlapping encil of' the tearing strip so as to be capable of tearing out said strip. y BASIL F. SAUBESTRE. 

